


To Be Away From You

by Sachi_Grace



Series: To Catch a Liar [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Quarantine, Saiouma Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25011157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachi_Grace/pseuds/Sachi_Grace
Summary: Day 1: BirthdayShuichi just came back home from America but has to be in quarantine for fourteen-days, so he spends it with his uncle to keep Kokichi safe. Kokichi's not exactly pleased since one of those fourteen-days just so happens to land on his birthday.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Series: To Catch a Liar [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808653
Comments: 2
Kudos: 93
Collections: SaiOuma Week 2020





	To Be Away From You

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for SaiOuma Week on Twitter for hosting this event. I'm super excited to continue this. Thank you to those who have followed me thus far.

“This sucks!” Kokichi cried out into the microphone on his headset. He flung himself dramatically to lay across the desk, not caring about the key smashes that inevitably came from it. He peered over his shoulder, eyes watering as he looked at the webcam. Even though Shuichi just managed to come home from America, he needed to self-quarantine during the damn virus. It didn’t help either that the news was rocky on whether or not Tokyo would go back into lockdown again due to the state of emergency. It really fucking sucked. Kokichi managed to have him for the entire time the first quarantine hit and had been lucky. It was enough for him to start thinking seriously about asking the detective to move in with him.

Then that case happened in America that required Shuichi’s attention since he was an essential worker in every means. Kokichi hated that Shuichi decided to spend the fourteen days with his family; he hated that Shuichi thought, for a moment, for a minute, that he could be a danger to everyone. He hated that he had to come back so close to his birthday. He hated that his birthday was spent like  _ this _ . 

Shuichi didn’t seem too thrilled about it either. He was wearing a sympathetic smile, his expression tender. He had a bit more color in his face, which told him he at least had some time out in the sun while he was working in America. The afternoon light caught the gold of his eyes in a bright sheen that hurt to look. His cowlick hadn’t changed a bit, still a stubborn piece of hair that wouldn’t sit down. The microphone was clipped onto his dress shirt, a few buttons loosened by the collar, and the sleeves rolled up. “I know,” Shuichi replied after a moment, his voice cracking on the other end. Too far away. Not close enough. “I don’t like it either, Ouma-kun. I’m sorry.”

“You’re going to make it up to me right, Shumai? You’re going to make it up to me.” Kokichi pushed himself up on to his elbows and leaned in towards the camera. Shuichi reflectively backed up away, as though Kokichi could climb right through the computer screen. God, he wondered how badly he needed to bully Miu to get that kind of invention going.

Then again, could he trust her not to make it overly sexual? Probably not.

“A-as well as I can.” Shuichi offered hesitantly. “There’s not much we can do.”

“Where’s your imagination?” Kokichi huffed, pulling away from the camera. The headphones slid a little on his head, so he had to bring them back to adjust around his ears. “There’s plenty that we can do. Just think Shumai. What can you offer me as a present when you get home?”

Shuichi hummed, looking away with a finger curled against his chin. Kokichi’s heart stuttered at sight. He longed to take Shuichi’s hand away from his chin and instead make him look at him. He wanted to get Shuichi out of his head for just a moment. A second even. The detective always overthought everything; the littlest detail couldn’t go amiss. “I suppose I have a few ideas,” the words came out slow, thoughtful. “I’ll have to call in reinforcements, though.”

“Reinforcements? Who the hell?” Kokichi blinked. Shuichi did understand that reinforcements wouldn’t be able to include their classmates or D.I.C.E, right? He opened his mouth to ask the question, but Shuichi didn’t seem to be looking at him again. His gaze lowered. His finger that had been on his chin was now tapping rhythmically on his wrist. “Shuimai?”

“A-ah, I’m sorry, Ouma-kun, I got lost in thought for a minute.” Shuichi laughed a little. 

Probably trying to decide who those reinforcements were going to be. “Well, whatever. I don’t mind surprises, but I can’t imagine anyone knowing more about me than you do, Mister Detective.”

“That’s a lie,” Shuichi replied, his smile gracing back on his face. Kokichi’s heart flipped, and his cheeks heated at sight. If it was possible, Kokichi wanted that smile to last. He had half of the mind just to take a screenshot, capture that moment. However, the moment was just that, and Shuichi looked away. “I know you were looking forward to this. I had hoped if I got home early enough, I wouldn’t miss it. The case took longer than I thought it was going to, and it didn’t help that the different states over there had issues with traveling and such.”

“Who cares?” Kokichi asked. Who cared? Shuichi wasn’t stuck over there if a second shutdown happened. He was back home, and that was what mattered the most. He preferred two weeks over months of doing this. This was just a reminder that they were at least in the same country. They could soon be together again. Shuichi just had to make sure he wasn’t sick, and then everything would be okay. “Hey.” He softened his voice. “The worst birthday present in the world will be finding out you got sick. So you better not be.” 

“I’m pretty sure I’m okay,” Shuichi assured quickly, “I know the incubation period is about fourteen days. So far, I haven’t felt ill during travel or being here. I most likely got lucky. Still, I’d rather be safe than sorry. It would be a shame for me to get sick and give it to you. You’re a nightmare when you’re ill.”

“I am a delight!” Kokichi shot back.

Shuichi merely raised an eyebrow, “Widow-san and Honor-san told me differently when I came home.”

“Traitors.” Kokichi immediately started looking for his phone, not caring that he had a group chat in the Discord. He didn’t want to click off the screen, even for a moment not to see Shuichi’s face. He wanted to bask in his attention, just for a bit longer. They’ve been talking for hours now, and they still hadn’t moved from their spot.

Shuichi snickered in his ears as he finally found his phone, “Hey, Ouma-kun? I have an idea for right now. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to but-”

“Is Saihara-chan going to get naughty on Discord? The Phone-sex with the bonus of-”

“Ouma-kun!” Shuichi shrieked, and Kokichi peered upward. His face was ruby red, and his eyes were blown-wide. He could hear someone laughing in the background, and Kokichi froze. “I don’t have my headphones on!”

Kokichi schooled his features to hide his embarrassment. Not that he had any shame anyway, but he liked Shuichi’s Uncle, and- “Oh, god, your  _ cousin heard. _ ”

“Oh. N-no, you got lucky in that regard.” Shuichi laughed, “She’s not here.”

“She’s not? I thought that if she were living with you guys, she’d be quarantine too,” Kokichi tilted his head slightly.

“Ouma-kun,” Shuichi replied patiently, “my cousin lives next  _ door. _ ”

Oh. 

“Well, how was I supposed to know that? Silly Shumai, I haven’t developed psychic powers yet.” Kokichi scoffed teasingly, “Anyway, you were telling me about a new thing you wanted to try. Tell me? Ooh, I bet it’s something-”

“I was going to say if we hang up -ah wait a minute don’t look like that just listen!- If we hang up and cook something for dinner, we could come back on and maybe watch a movie together?” Shuichi offered shyly.

“But Shumai’s stuck in his room,” Kokichi frowned. 

“My aunt leaves me food at my door, so I’m not being starved,” Shuichi replied patiently. “She’s cooking now; I heard her calling downstairs. The mic didn’t pick it up.” Oh, that explained why he thought it was best to stop the call. Kokichi would have to throw something together for himself. “It’ll be a few minutes at best, Ouma-kun. I promised to spend all day with you doing anything you wanted.”

He did too. They’ve been at this conversation for six hours now with minimal breaks and without wanting to hang up. Even if it meant that they’d occasionally lapsed into silence, Shuichi reading a book on his end and Kokichi mindlessly playing Animal Crossing on his. He was so close to getting the three-stars, he could taste the victory in the back of his mouth. “If you insist,” Kokichi sighed dramatically. “How can I ever say no to you?” Before Shuichi could come up with an answer, Kokichi spoke up, “What movie?”

“I was going to let you choose.”

“Well, for my birthday I’m letting Shumai choose instead, it better be a good one. I’ll hang up now so I can make something to eat, and you can worry your pretty little head over it. Don’t worry; I’ll kill you if it’s the wrong choice! Or am I lying?”

“I’ll make sure it’s not, go make something to eat Ouma-kun. I’ll still be here. I promise.”

Kokichi thought about hanging up, and he didn’t want to. Instead, he unplugged the laptop. “Good news, Shumai, we’re not hanging up. You’re going to watch me cook.”

“Yeah, that’s going to end in disaster,” Shuichi muttered.

“What was that?”

“A-ah, nothing!” Shuichi quickly held his hands up. 

X

Shuichi hadn’t been wrong when he said that it would end in disaster. They chatted while Kokichi tried to move around the kitchen and find his recipe book and then the ingredients. The laptop was getting to be cumbersome. The wire of his headphones kept getting caught in the fridge and cupboards. By the time he had managed to get everything prepared, he nearly knocked the laptop to the ground when he had turned to get something, catching himself on the cord. Shuichi took mercy on him and hung up, leaving Kokichi with silence. His determination to cook as fast as humanly possible so he could return to his room and be with Shuichi again ignited. 

While the food simmered, he brought his laptop back, so that he wouldn’t try to balance several things at once. He hesitated over calling Shuichi but knew that if he did that, he’d stay until the food burned, and he didn’t want Shuichi’s worried face to be the first thing that greeted him. He went back to the kitchen, where the smell of the food cooking brought an intense longing that Shuichi was there with him.

Shuichi usually would be the one at the stove, throwing things in. Kokichi would generally be sitting on the countertops, legs swinging, trying to poke and prod. Maybe try to add a little extra of something, just to see what would happen. They would bicker, banter, laugh together; he missed it, the apartment was just too silent now. He had been spoiled all those months when they were locked together. 

He missed how off-tune Shuichi would sing when he didn’t think Kokichi could hear him when he was mindlessly doing a chore. He missed how the pages would sound when they gently flipped through the book. He missed turning his head and seeing Shuichi somewhere in his peripheral vision. 

Yeah, he was tired of that. The timer went off, and he quietly got himself a bowl. He added rice to it and the food on top before turning things off, covering the pots appropriately, and headed back upstairs. He could put it away when the movie was done and over with.

He sat back at his desk, placing the bowl to the side and called Shuichi’s Discord.

Shuichi didn’t even hesitate to answer the call.

“Hey beloved,” Kokichi said before Shuichi could even begin to answer. “I know what I want you to do for my birthday. Besides whatever it is you’re going to do with the reinforcements after all of this.”

Shuichi tilted his head curiously. 

“Move in with me?”

Shuichi’s expression melted into surprise. Kokichi’s heart pounded harshly against his ribcage. He felt nervous laughter bubbling in his chest. He wanted to lie and run away from the scene. He tried to tease about Shuichi’s flustered expression and that it was hysterical that Shuichi thought for a moment he was sincere. 

But that wouldn’t work right now. Kokichi waited on bated breath as Shuichi’s lips curved into a heartfelt smile. That soft expression made Kokichi fall in love just that much more. “Yeah,” Shuichi said softly. “I’d like that.”

“You would? Of course, you would! Silly Shumai, did you think I doubted for a moment that you’d say no?” Kokichi asked, relieved. “You’re going to be my roommate now! How didn’t I run you off yet? Did you find me that entertaining?”

“You are annoying sometimes,” Shuichi shook his head.

“Rude! You’re breaking my heart!” Kokichi gripped at his chest as he pretended to slump across the desk again. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. Why had he been so scared that the answer would be no? He lived with D.I.C.E before he struck it out on his own. Being a Hope’s Peak Academy alumni offered a lot of benefits financially, but to have someone with him. To live with someone again. Where the silence wasn’t loud. Where he wasn’t guessing the neighbors and their motives. 

“Ouma-kun, to be honest, I was going to ask you,” Shuichi admitted, and it forced Kokichi to pick his head up. “I was going to ask if um...if you wanted me to move in with you. But I thought I was moving to fast, and it never came up. I thought you liked being alone that you liked living alone.”

“...Silly detective.” Kokichi sighed softly. “What makes you think that I’d be happy by myself when I could be with you?”

Shuichi’s cheeks turned beet red. “D-don’t say things like that!”

“Why? Is my beloved getting  _ flustered~ _ ?”

“I-I’m going to turn the movie on now.” Shuichi stuttered, and Kokichi laughed as Shuichi shared his screen and turned on the movie. The fourteen-day imprisonment couldn’t end fast enough. Kokichi couldn’t wait to have him back where he belonged.


End file.
